10 Holiday Decorating Ideas

The holiday season is a whirlwind. Between shopping, gift wrapping, decorating, cooking, and gathering with friends and family, there’s a lot to do and too little time to do it! We admit to needing all the help we can get, which is why we rounded up a few of our favorite tips for keeping your sanity this season!

1. Gift Wrapping Station

An organized space for wrapping gifts is a no-brainer. Keep everything organized and neat, while still making it handy so you can use those ninja bow-tying skills you’ve worked so hard to master!

2. Red Ribbon is Your Friend

There’s no need to over complicate your dining table during the holidays. We find that a cheery red, satin ribbon can go a long way in giving your table a festive look without needing too many bells and whistles!

3. Streamline Your Wrapping Paper

It may seem counterintuitive to put so much thought into your gift wrap, but we find that a little planning at the start of the year pays off when things get busy! Decide what color palette you want to use for wrapping paper, and buy plenty of paper options, ribbon, and gift tags early in the season. That way you don’t have to rush back to the store when you discover you’re half a roll short! (Plus, by that time all of the prettiest papers are gone anyway!)

4. Take Your Centerpiece to the Sky

If you’re trying to squeeze a lot of people onto your dining table, simplify your centerpiece down to a few votive candles and take the greenery to your chandelier! A few sprays of cedar or pine, and your have a focal point that doesn’t take up valuable table space.

5. Spread Cheer Throughout Your Home

All of the fun stuff doesn’t have to stay in your main living areas. We love the idea of putting a few small accents in other rooms of the house, like the bedroom. We especially love these gold tinsel trees because they’re so pretty that they don’t require ornaments!

6. Watery Blues are a Chic Alternative

Don’t feel the need to fight your home’s color palette when the holidays come around. No matter what colors you’re drawn to the rest of the year, stick with it and work in holiday cheer with whites and metallics.

7. Corral Holiday Clutter in the Kitchen

Turn that pesky Holiday clutter into a fun, festive centerpiece in the kitchen. Cookies, candy canes, and holiday cards inevitably wind up on every surface, but by throwing them all into a pretty tiered stand it feels intentional. Sneaky trick, right?

8. Accents in Outdoor Spaces

Don’t feel obligated to go overboard, but if you live in a region where outdoor spaces are used during the holiday season, bring a few festive touches outside. A faux tree or a rope of garland is all it really takes!

9. Use Leftover Garland

Once you’ve hung garland on your mantel piece, use any spare pieces of rope or branches, and tie it to the mailbox. It’ll feel super chic, but you’ll know that this piece was simply repurposed!

10. Metallics are a Neutral

During the holidays, we consider metallics a neutral! Over time, build a collection of mercury glass votives, metallic trees, and even gold and silver ribbon. These versatile pieces can be reused every year, just like your favorite little black dress!

We enjoy spending days interacting with How to Decorate readers. From answering Design Dilemmas to writing How To articles and working with guest designers, our passion is to provide informative and accurate resources to help people solve their design problems.